DOH URGED TO CONSIDER E-CIGS AS LESS HARMFUL ALTERNATIVE
The House of Representatives joint committee on health and trade and industry has adopted House Resolution (HR) No. 973 urging the Department of Health (DOH) to adopt harm reduction measures, particularly the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), as an alternative for smokers as part of the country’s National Tobacco Control Strategy.
In his sponsorship speech during the recent joint committee hearing, Coop-NATCCO Rep. Anthony Bravo pointed out that the Philippines was a signatory to the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which defined tobacco control as a range of supply, demand and harm reduction strategies that aimed to improve the health of a population by eliminating or reducing their consumption of tobacco products and exposure to tobacco smoke.
“This FCTC provision is a recognition that harm reduction measures can be considered for tobacco control,” Bravo said.
According to Bravo, harm reduction is a strategy directed toward individuals or groups that aims to reduce the harms associated with certain behaviors.
Bravo cited Dr. Konstantinos Farsalinos, an expert on tobacco harm reduction and e-cigarettes, who said appropriate regulation of ecigarettes could help prevent serious sickness and the premature death of millions of cigarette smokers in the Philippines.